Direct-drive friction transmission.



C. S. ALLEN.

DIRECT DRIVE FRICTION TRANSMISSION.

1,177,468, APPLICATION FILI-:D MAII. 9. I9I5. Patented Mar. 28, 1916' L MM 3 W W w.,

ATUHNEYS TMB COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH CD.. wAsHlNGraN, u. c.

C. S. ALLEN.

DIRECT DRIVE FRIcTIoN TRANSMISSION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9| 1915. 1,177,468.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 II JIIIIIIIII I III I: IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ATTR/VEYS UNITED STATES.4 'PATIENT oEEIoE.

CHARLES SIDNEY ALLEN, 0F FORT GAINES,'GEORGIA, VASSIGrKNOVIt TO ALLENQTRANS- MISSION COMPANY, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA,A CORPORATION OF .CALI- FOR-NIA.

Viimno''r-DRIVE ERICTION TRANSMISSION. y

' specification f Letters Patent. Patented ManL 28, 19,16,v

Appiicaiion mea March 9, 1915. serial No. 13,224.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that LCHARLEs S. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fort Gaines, in the county` of Clay and State of Georgia, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Direct-Drive Friction Transmission, of which the following is a specification."

My invention relates to improvements in transmission mechanisms, and it consistsfin the combinations, constructions and'arrangements ofvparts herein described and claimed.

Anobject of my invention is to provide a device vof the type'described havingV fewl parts, and these of a simple nature, there-Y fore eliminating troubles due toV a multiplicity of complex elements.

A further ob'ect of"my inventionv is to provide a transmission mechanism whose use will insure the longer life of all the parts of the car, such as engines, chassis and tires, due to the fact that` jerks and jars such as that caused by changing gears, is entirelvleliminated. i

A further object of myinvention is to lprovide a'svstem of clutches by means of whichy the `car is under absolute control lat all times, and jin^which the transmission will. ,give any speed from a minimum to a maximum* or forwarder reverse when the engine .runs at normal speed.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following, specification, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out y .the appended claimsy Mv--invention is illustrated in .the accom- Ypanvine"drawings forming apart of this application, in which-'- y Figure 1 is a plan View ofthe transmission mechanism, certain parts being shown in section.v Figa?j is a side view of the transmission mechanism, Fig.v 3 isy a Section section on .the line 4-1 of Fig. l, and Fig.

5 is a perspective view showingl a portion of thelspeed changingxmechanism;

Incarrving out my invention I .make use of a chassis frame portion such as that shown at 1. inFigs. l andy 2. Upon this frame is mountedin suitable bearings. a main drive shaft 2, upon which'is mounted'the flv wheel-3 oftheengine.. A gear l on the shaft 2 mesheswith a gear 'on the 6, which isparallel vwith theshaftQ.

The -shaft 2-is provided with a frictional Y clutch member 2, which'is arranged to en` gage a frictlonal clutch member 2b Von an auxiliary shaft 2X, vwhich isiin alinement' with the. shaft 2. 1 The Vshaft 6 is'provided wlth similar clutch members 6a and 6b, the

latter being .on the endA of ashaft 6", which 'isjournaled in the. casing 7, as shown'V in Fig. 1. A gear 8 on the'fshaft 2X meshes with a gear.9"on the shaft 6X. Y

Disposed between the side members of the chassis 1s V.the friction disk casing .7. This is provided with a pair of alined cylindrical extensions l7a and 7b at. opposite ends of the` casing as is clearly shown inv Figs. 1

and 2. These extensions form in fact cylin- Y drical bearings for the hubs '10a and 11a respectively of the -friction wheels 10 and 11.

Inorder to reduce friction, ball bearings are provided asshown. Each ofthe cylindrical extensions Ta and 7 b is provided with a screw cap suchas those shown at 1Qa and 12b respectively, while springs 13a and 13 are interposed between the inner ends of the screw caps l.and plates 14a and 14h, whichV form part of the ball bearingsof thefriction disks :10y and 11 respectively.- Friction disk 11 is mounted onthe end of a shaft 15 which constitutes the-final drive and is designed to connect with 'the differential of the rear axle (not shownl. A

Disposed at right anglesV to theshafts 2 and 15 is -a screw shaft 16, oneend of which is-journaledin the walls ofthecasing, and which is provided at. one end with a gear 17 -arranged to mesh with a gear 18 mounted at onevend of a sleeve 18x o urnaled in the wall of thecasing which is looselyfmounted on a shaft 19, the latter extendingp'arallel with the screw shaft 16 and being also j'ournale'd in the opposite wall of the casing, asshown iniFig. 3. The sleeve i18X is extended beyond the casing and yis'.r provided with a sprocketvwheel 20, which isfarranged to be driven by a sprocket chain 9.1, which passes over a sprocket 22 on the stub sha-ft 23carried by the body 24 of the vehicle.- A lever V 25 is disposed in convenient positionl to the end vof'the screw shaft 16 is journaled .in aV bracketQG secured tothe walls of the casing 7. This shaft passes through a.collar 2T ber .31.

l which is provided withy a pin 28 arranged to enter the threads of the screw.. The collar 27 `is provided with a Vyoke 29, which strad-v dles -a grcoved hub 3() of a clamping mem-l A frictiondisk32 is heldbetween the clamping member 31on one side anda similar clamping member 33` on the other.;

The hub is vprovided with a key or feather 30'FL arrangedto slide in the slot19a in the shaft 19 (see Fig. The shaft 19I is also p rovided with a` friction disk 34,

which .is 1 held between clamping. members 34x.-

Three foot levers are mountedrin front of thecperatorffor operating the device. One

ofrthesefootlevers 35 ,is connected by a` link 36 'toa lever 37 which ispivoted at 38 r(see. Fig. .2), andvfwhich connects with a ring 39`disposed between collars 40 and secured toy theshaft 2X.' The foot lever is for the purpose of moving the shaft 2 so as tov shift the friction `disk 10 out'of engagement with the friction disk 32. The

footlever 41 is fpivoted at 42for`0perating- Y .in Fig.V l with the clutch members 6a and 6b released so as to prevent transmission of power from theshaft 6 to the shaft 6X, and

the clutch members 2aand 2*.brought into engagement-- Power will now be transfmitted from the shaft 2to the shaft' 2X,

thenceby means of the disk 10 :tothe disk 32, thence-'to the shaft A19 totliedisk 34` and shaft 15 in the `opposite direction-from that 1 of the main lengine shaft 2. Now, if fthe driver wishes to drivevthe final drive shaftI 15 inthe same direction as the driving shaft 2, he shifts thelever so as to cause therotation of the screw shaft through the medium offsprocket`22, sprocket chain 21;, sprocket 20, sleeve 18V", gear 18, andi gear 17. Rotationfof the screw shaft 16 causes the driving disk 32tobe moved' toward and away-from the center of the disk 10v in accordance with the direction of'fmovementv ofv 'the lever 25. The driving disk 32 maybe movedl to the opposite side of thefcenter of the 4disk-10 when the shaft 15 willlnow be driven in the same direction as the shaft' 2. Moreover, the shiftingy of the driving. disk 32'toward and away from the center 0f the disk 10 will produce different speeds of rotation: of the shaft 19. When the rdisk 32Yis ati the outenedgeof the disk 10, the speed; will be greatest,l and when it is: movedI `to-ward'the center, it lwill Vgradually become less.

When-the shafts2 aiid2X are-disconnectedy and the shafts 6 and 6X' areconnected;then4 the shaft 2X is'driven lat' a greater speed,

owing to the arrangement ofthe gears 4,5, 9 and 8. Y. v Y y The tension of the disks 10 and 11 on their byk screwing up theV caps 12a..

to a minimum, forward or` reverse. Theidevice is practically.noiseless `and there fis'rno liability of in]uringthemechanism as would occur ifv gears were use d', through the stripping of the gears. The device lmay be used asa .safety 0r emergencyY brake whichf isf eiective; inbringing i the` car to =a stop quickly, but without jerking ,'thecar, and

rrespective disks "3Q/'and "34 maybe regulated f In anar. 1 rangement of this kind it will be seen that.; one may obtainY any speed from a maximum without the danger ofl rackingthe samefand loosening the parts.

I claim f sions, a pair of friction .disks havinghubs Journaled in saidfalined extensions, a trans-k vers'eishaft rotatably'mountedin the casing 1. Ina transmissionmechanism,a:casing3 Y having .a pair of :alined cylindrical. exten- 59g i between said friction: disks, a frictionwheel on said shaft normality7 in: engagementwith r o-ne of-said disks, asecond frictionwheel on said shaft normally .inY engagement 4with/the; other of saidvlfrictilon disks, springs for.

pressing said friction'disks uponsaid wheels,-

and means'for'adjusting the tension` of the i springs, said'last named fineans.. comprising ,f screw caps carried byA saidziextensiongand 3 fioo 2. In.y a transmission; mechanism,V a .casing arranged tofb'earzagainstisaid springs.l

having apairY of alined:hollowcylindrica11- extensions, a pair; ofi'ifriction-l disks having..

hubs journaled; in; said alinedfextensions, f

each ofsaid extensions beingthreadedfat its the outerv threadedjends of said extensions,

.105Y Vouter end, screw 1. caps ,arranged fto engage.`

iio r said` friction disks,;a friction wheelon-.Said

shaft lnormally in engagement with onefof'. saidzdisks, a. friction :wheel onsaidishaftA '.1152 said` friction di'sks,1.andA means for vmoving one of said frictiomwlieelstoward and away.

normally inenga'gement with the yotheraof from lthe center. of.. :its associated` friction disk.f

3.' Imv a ltransmission mechanismf,.-a casing'4 having a pair of alined 'hollow4cylindricalV extensions, a pair of; friction disks having. hubs journaledrfiny said alined extensions,` each lof said extensions-being threadedfat its 1 outer end,.screwacaps arranged to engage the .f outer: threaded ends; of lsaid '.extensionsW al shaft secured VEto ;the hub of leach f disk :and

arranged to extendj-through 4the opening4 in its: associated screwacap, a spiral spring. disposed lin each of said hollowy extensions;

said spiral spring surrounding its associated shaft, a bearing at one end on said screw cap, a transverse shaft rotatably mounted in the casing between said friction disks, a friction wheel on said shaft normally in engagement with one of said disks, a friction wheel on said shaft normally in en-A gagement with the other of said friction disks, and means for moving one of said friction wheels toward and away from the center of its associated friction disks.

4. lnV a transmission mechanism, a casing having a pair of alined hollow cylindrical extensions, a pair of friction disks having hubs journaled in said alined extensions, each of said extensions beingthreaded at its outer end, screw caps arranged to engage the outer threaded ends of said extensions, a shaft secured to the hub of each disk andv arranged to extend through the opening in its associated screw cap, a spiral spring disposed in each of said hollow extensions, said spiral spring surrounding its .associated shaft and bearing at one end on said screw cap, a plate slidably disposed o-n each of said shafts and arranged to be engaged by the opposite end of the spring, anti-friction members disposed between said last named plate and the hubs of the disks, a transverse shaft rotatably mounted in the casing between said friction disks, a friction wheel on said shaft normally in engagement with one of said disks, a friction wheel on said shaft normally in engagement with the other,

. secured to said second named wheel, a screw shaft arranged to pass through the collar-,1

a pin carried by the collar and extending into the threads on the screw shaft whereby when the screw shaft is turned thek friction wheel bearing the collar is moved along its shaft, said screw shaft being of a length to permit the movement of said friction wheel past the center of its associated friction disk, thereby permitting a reverse movement, and means for `rotating' the screw shaft independently lof the friction wheel shaft.

CHARLES SIDNEY ALLEN. lVitnesses:

JOHN B. CLAYTON, FRANCES B. MCDERMOTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each,.by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

